Alfarell

Challenge #04794-M045: Old or Bold

"I'm mean and tired. I break vainglory seekers and make them spit out regrets. So don't try me. I'm trying to get some actual rest now that I'm retired." -- Anon Guest

The trouble with being the best is all the egotistical neophytes trying to boost their way to the top of the mountain by besting the best. Which is tremendously annoying when that best person in question is trying to enjoy their retirement.

Hasryk the Kingslayer had learned this after a long career of defeating tyrants and helping better rulers take command. He had hoped to retire into obscurity on a small, self-sufficient farm on the outskirts of a village in the middle of nowhere. Hope was such a frail and fragile thing. Hasryk got to enjoy retirement for one week after moving in when the first braggart found him.

"So, the mighty kingslayer has come to this," would soon become fighting words.

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Challenge #04793-M044: Honourbound Duty

Fennel spent a few more months in the grove as her body adapted to its new heart and she recovered. The guardian taught her friends to be stronger, wiser, and more educated, and, when she was deemed strong enough, allowed to go with the guardian's blessing. To Bastion, they stated, "Remember, love is a rare flower, nurture it well." Then looked to Geesh. "Remember, not all treasures are the kind you can sell." To Halestaff, "Take care of this new little sapling,

Challenge #04787-M038: Escape From Injustice

When everything goes wrong for our protagonist, he takes to the seas, hoping to find a new life far from home. But no one can ever really flee from one’s past. -- Deathshead419

"Oh lack-a-day lilly, got bit by the filly! The whole world is hating on me. And so I'm running off to sea!" -- Alfarell children's song.

Fairweather knew she had a stowaway. It wasn't as if there were a lot of hiding places on her old tub. Kid

Challenge #04785-M036: The Price of Paradise

A village was once plagued by constant storms, swarms of locusts, and bandits harrying the fringes. Now an idol in the heart of town wards away the old travails, bringing good harvests and peace. All it asks for is the heart of a child once a year… -- Deathshead419

They had taken to sheltering in the caves when the worst of the weather hit. Huddled close to each other with any animals that had also done so. What crops had survived the

Challenge #04779-M030: Those Were the Days

King Nydon is gone, and the jubilation from his fall was real. Yet now years have come and gone, allowing memories of how bad things were to fade, had leaving King Reginald to deal with a burgeoning nostalgia for his father’s reign.

[Follow up to: https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04632-l248-better-than-perfection ] -- Deathshead419

King Reginald of Bevuran and his Prince-consort Connow ruled wisely and well for decades. Raising a junior niece as the intended heir to the crown. Bevuran was no

Challenge #04777-M028: Safety Inspection

This mine has an over 90% safety margin!/ "How in all the Holies you manage that??"

Meet the supervisors. /"These are Kobolds!"

Yep, best damn safety inspectors and supervisors we've ever had! -- The New Guy

Everyone knows that the world of Alfarell was made for Dragons and Dragonkind. Fortunately, after centuries of irreconcilable differences, the Dragons have deigned to share their world with smaller intelligent creatures. Fortunately for Dragonkind, the other intelligent creatures were willing to talk.

Unfortunately for the Kobolds,

Challenge #04776-M027: Words of Peace

They were an ordinary human, and loved to learn languages. They even learned the elven tongues, some fae language, the native tongue of kobolds, even voulspeak. Which allowed them to make quite a few friends, and helped otherwise distrustful to accept their kindness. -- Lessons

They should have been a Bard, and everyone said so. They insisted that Peony should sing... until she did. Unfortunately for Peony Black, they had the singing and musical instrument talent of a duck.

Peony's talent was

Challenge #04772-M023: Read the Instructions

The sign is easy to read, with pictures. No fee via coin. Just leave a bit of honey, or some wool fluff, or split some wood, etc, and the place welcomed you.

Refuse even a small kindness for thanks? You will pay another way. And it's humiliation. You'll live, but the mortification is horrible. -- Anon Guest

It looked like any other roadhaus. Neat, clean, and orderly. The little farm attached to it was enough to support many visitors. The beds were

Challenge #04770-M021: You'd Better Watch Out

While one spirit god gives gifts to all human children and other "welcomed" children, this spirit ensues all "unwelcome" children around the world also get gifts no matter who they are, or where they are. -- Anon Guest

Charity sighed and scooped up her child as ze came home crying. On one hand, the formalised schooling system allowed for a decent education, and allowed children to socialise with their peers. It also, unfortunately, enforced socialisation with bullies.

She wrapped up Wit in

Challenge #04766-M017: Luck Makes Itself

Respectfully touch a teufel horn, with their permission, your wish may just come true. Touch a horn that from a head has been shorn, death shall soon befall you. -- Anon Guest

They say a lot of things about the devilborn. Some of them are even true.

Touch a Teufel by the horn/ Making sure the head's not shorn/ Surely you will become bless'd/ If they tell you "be my guest".

Nobody knows exactly where it came from. Some suppose that the

Challenge #04765-M016: Artisinal Assistance

They were an inventor and creator, but also worked with magic. They made special limbs for those missing limbs, braces for those with injured backs and other joints, chairs for those that could not walk, and medicines to ease pain. Best part? These items, no matter how people tried to destroy them, simply repaired themselves, and always returned, undamaged, to the owner. And if the owner was a child? These items grew with the child or changed with the owner's needs. --

Challenge #04762-M013: Faekindred Family

Barthus noticed little things around the shop. Damaged items repaired, clothes sewn, better clothes for Makana, etc

The faerie folk cared for those that took care of their new young ones. And made life hard for those that made life harder for the caretakers.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04719-l335-newfound-family -- Anon Guest

Explaining the whole world a bit at a time was eye-opening. Barthus had never thought to question the things his new prentice/child did, but now the questions were

Challenge #04761-M012: Rest and Restrategise

It's late, I'm tired, but I can't sleep. Can I stay in your room tonight, please? -- Anon Guest

Was there a worse condition for an Adventurer than to be a chronic overthinker? Ironically, Humility couldn't think of one. His mind was racing in circles regarding their most recent fuckup and how close they'd come to becoming some other Adventuring party's grim discovery.

At least they holed up in a nice inn to recover.

Humility was used to the gang-wide cuddle pile.

Challenge #04758-M009: Cut Out the Rot

Bibrid, once in his rarely used silver dragon form, held the weeping human that was near the body now slowly cooling on the floor./ (I.... I cannot.. believe I just did that.. I just... killed them.)

"But in doing so, many, many more will live."/ (A part of me felt like it just died, too.)

"That's what it feels like to kill another cognizant being. The fact it upsets you so means you understand, too, the gravity of it. It means you'll

Challenge #04757-M008: To Join Her Cause

"Oh great Mistress Dark, hear me please. I wish to follow your will."/ ~And what will do you seek to follow?~

"To give solace and comfort to the dying, to let them know you wait to be their guide."/ ~Where do I guide them?~

"To the next life, to Rebirth, to what their lives have earned, or lessons they need to learn, with you, they never walk in darkness alone."/ ~You are a wise one, young human, I will grant you my

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A 320-post collection

Challenge #04794-M045: Old or Bold

Challenge #04793-M044: Honourbound Duty

Challenge #04787-M038: Escape From Injustice

Challenge #04785-M036: The Price of Paradise

Challenge #04779-M030: Those Were the Days

Challenge #04777-M028: Safety Inspection

Challenge #04776-M027: Words of Peace

Challenge #04772-M023: Read the Instructions

Challenge #04770-M021: You'd Better Watch Out

Challenge #04766-M017: Luck Makes Itself

Challenge #04765-M016: Artisinal Assistance

Challenge #04762-M013: Faekindred Family

Challenge #04761-M012: Rest and Restrategise

Challenge #04758-M009: Cut Out the Rot

Challenge #04757-M008: To Join Her Cause